MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has given the ‘green light’ for persons with hearing impairment to participate in a driver’s examination as part of a pilot project.
The Ministry of Public Security made the announcement on Monday in a statement, and noted that the decision is in keeping with Amendment of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act Chapter 51:02 to include the issuance of Drivers’ Permits to Deaf Drivers on May 24 2018.

Under the pilot programme, six persons from the Deaf Community in Guyana will be allowed to participate in the theoretical and practical drivers’ examination as part of the pilot project, at a date to be announced later.
The commencement of the pilot programme was agreed to when the minister met with the National Commission on Disability and the Deaf Association of Guyana on February 28, 2019 at the Ministry of Public Security.

The pilot programme is one of the recommendations agreed to by Cabinet to facilitate the issuance of driver’s permit to persons who are hearing impaired. Other recommendations include a rigorous national awareness campaign for the general populace including the beneficiaries; and implementation of issuances of driver’s licence to deaf drivers, only for private and not commercial vehicles, given the present infrastructural development and culture of driving on Guyana’s road ways.

“The Government of Guyana will continue to provide equality and insure non- discrimination for persons with disabilities as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” the ministry assured.